New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels has been the hottest coach on the market over the past two seasons, but he’s opted to return to New England instead of taking on a new head coaching gig. The lure of playing with head coach Bill Belichick and QB Tom Brady for yet another Super Bowl is too much to abandon.
“This will never get old. I don’t know if I’ll ever leave,” McDaniels told 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Zolak & Bertrand at Monday’s Opening Night in Houston.
McDaniels has expressed a desire to be a head coach again, after a failed stint with the Denver Broncos, but he’s not going to take any old coaching job. He’s waiting for one of the perfect job openings, which are far and few between in the NFL.
Few franchises, like the Patriots, Pittsburgh Steelers, Cincinnati Bengals, and Green Bay Packers, show a willingness to stick with a head coach for a decade-long span of time, and that’s what McDaniels is looking for. He also wants an organization where he gets to pick all of the players and he won’t be married to the incumbent quarterback.
Patriots owner Robert Kraft joined Zolak & Bertrand to note that McDaniels’ loyalty has been noted.
“He had a great chance to leave and head an organization, and he made a decision to stay with us. That means so much to the whole organization,” said Kraft. “We are so lucky to have him. Don’t think that doesn’t go unnoticed.”
Brady wants to play for another five years, while Belichick could probably coach for another ten. It would be selfish to ask McDaniels to stay with the Patriots until Belichick retires- but McDaniels might have to wait a decade for one of the perfect job openings to appear, anyways. So why not just stay in New England?